“Tell me how to restore it.”
“Maybe it doesn’t need to be restored.” She stops swaying. “Maybe it would be better if Neverland ceased to be. Then I could start fresh. My magic would be untainted.”
“But that would kill everyone on the island.”
She shrugs, a single leaf fluttering down into the water. “Anyone can die a thousand deaths in dreams.”
“I didn’t come here for riddles. I came here for a solution.”
“You came here to make a wish.”
“No.”
“No?” She puts her hands on her barky hips. “Then what do you have in your pocket?”
I furrow my brow. “Why does that matter?”
“Show it to me.”
I pull out the pearl and keep it in my palm. For some reason, I don’t think I can bear to let it out of my possession.
“Mmhmm, I see. So, youdon’twant to wish for James Hook?”
I do. I do with all my damn heart. But I can’t. “You know I can’t.”
“Of course you can. Hook wished for love. Peter wished for power. You can wish for Hook.” She grins. “You’re all chasing your tails, aren’t you? Hook, Peter, Moira. Moira, Peter, Hook. Pook, Meter, Hoira. Heter, Poira, Mook,” she singsongs.
I’m beginning to suspect the island isn’t all there.
“I’m all here.” She pats her bark stomach. “Don’t worry.”
“Stop reading my thoughts.” I pocket the pearl.
“Why?”
“Just tell me how I can stop the island from tearing itself apart.”
“You have to kill Peter, of course.” She blinks, her golden eyes narrowing. “He took my bargain and lost his soul. Hook took my bargain and gained his soul.” She winks. “I’m rather clever, aren’t I?”
I’d say sadistic more than clever.
She frowns as I think it. “But Peter took our bargain too far. He cheated. Stealing souls. At least Hook only took what was given to him.”
“You mean his true love?”
“Yes. You.”
“Back up.” I hold up a hand. “I thought I wasPeter’sboon.”
“You are.”
“But you just said I was Hook’s boon.”
“You are.”
She smirks. “I told you I was clever.”
“How is that clever? That’s insane. You put the two of them on course to crash into each other and wreck everything around them when they did it. And you putmein the middle of it all. Why?”
